Category Archives: agaves, woody lilies

driveby garden: Baker Street, San Francisco

For those who plan to attend the garden blogger meetup in San Francisco this year, known as the Garden Bloggers Fling, here’s a tiny glimpse of what the City offers mid January. And if you haven’t decided to attend yet, … Continue reading

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UCBG Natural Discourse: Form and Function 1/11/13

The final event in the unique, year-long collaboration that the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley undertook with “artists, architects, scientists and poets in the garden,” Natural Discourse, was held Friday, January 11, 2013. As co-curator Shirley Watts explained … Continue reading

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2012’s end

What a beautiful, tragic, maddening, saddening, intoxicating, infuriating, sublime and silly year 2012 was. While I indulge a bittersweet mood with Picasa’s collage editor, I’m wishing you the very, very best for 2013 — heavy on the sublime, light on … Continue reading

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starting over with Kalanchoe ‘Pink Butterflies’

Its lifespan as fleeting and evanescent as a butterfly’s, the mother plant’s single stalk ultimately elongated to over 4 feet tall, bloomed, and dropped all but the topmost leaves. All in less than two years’ time. Seen here in better … Continue reading

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driveby gardens 12/17/12; studies in textures

It’s been chronically drizzly the past few days, perfect weather for thinning and transplanting some broccoli rabe seedlings at my community garden plot. On the drive home I slowed for some interesting front gardens of contrasting character, some shrubby, some … Continue reading

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Agave titanota (crush with eyeliner)

Let me change the holiday music channel, if ever so briefly, by sharing the soundtrack that plays every time I walk by this agave, my crush with eyeliner. Agave titanota hybrid ‘Lanky Wanky’ A silly, last-round-at-the-pub name for a sideways-leaning … Continue reading

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OC Mart Mix needs to host a garden show

Another weekend misspent ostensibly holiday shopping (why pretend?), but in actuality just enjoying plants and landscapes, these courtesy of The OC Mart Mix. Although The OC Mart Mix was patterned after the Ferry Building gourmet marketplace in San Francisco, it’s … Continue reading

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friday clippings 12/7/12

The tulips are planted, and now the vegetable bin in the fridge is once again restored to its rightful purpose of chilling vegetables. I went beyond the required six weeks of prechilling this year, but overchilling is not the problem … Continue reading

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how to gift wrap an agave

I had some time late yesterday afternoon so decided to dip my toe into holiday retail. In truth, all I did was look at plants. And even bought a few. For myself. This season of giving is off to a … Continue reading

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Plant portrait; Agave attenuata and St. Augustine grass

Clean, bright simplicity. Agave attenuata underplanted with variegated St. Augustine grass, by garden designer Dustin Gimbel. This tough, subtropical grass works beautifully in holding this slope, and is allowed to grow long and shaggy or clipped and tidy, according to … Continue reading

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